EVERYBODY MOVE!

This Inclusive Academy Has A Vision For Its Young Dancers

VIIIZON Academy started with a mission: “Creating safe spaces,” says co-founder Trey Pickett, “so marginalized people, but especially Black, brown, and indigenous people, can see more reflections of themselves.”

Trey and his partner Vanessa Matthis are excited to provide the safe rehearsal space they often didn’t have as young dancers. “Some of the places we danced were in parks, or literally just out on the corner,” he remembers. Vanessa recalls that, too: “Winrock, when it was closed down, we practiced in front of the storefront windows as our mirrors.”

At the height of Covid, they saw students in online classes shivering while dancing in parks and parking lots. Trey remembers Vanessa getting “bumped” without explanation from rehearsal spaces she had booked. “We came to a point where we started to see a need.” VIIIZON opened in 2021.

While “everyone in the world is welcome” in their studio, VIIIZON is specifically a safe space for those not embraced by traditional dance spaces. Trey says, “The experience of a Black dancer, or anyone of color, is definitely different. [Here,] the opportunities first are [for] the girls or young dudes or queer-identifying people who would be in the back and pushed to the edges: ‘Get up here in the front, come up to the mirror, own this space. Slay. We’re here to uplift you.’”

One word you hear a lot when talking to Vanessa and Trey is “community.” Vanessa reflects, “We offer this to support the community, not just for what we do. It’s hard to find affordable space. We’ve been trying to give back to the community that has supported and uplifted us.” Trey adds that their studio space, shared with Black Cat Theater, is “a perfect fit: mirrors, a nice floor, great neighbors, and a community that wants to foster positivity, leadership development, and growth.”

The studio offers a wide variety of styles, and its founders are eager to keep offering new cultural experiences. Trey gives the example of Afrobeat: “That is not just a normal dance class; it’s an initiative to learn more about African culture, because the steps say something about the people.” There are constantly-bubbling plans to offer art classes, ecstatic “dance church,” acting, and storytime, so everyone–not just self-identified dancers–can be part of the VIIIZON community, supporting and being supported by it.

You can check out VIIIZON at upcoming shows: the Divine Goddess Burlesque Variety Show benefit for the 988 mental-health hotline, performances at Isotopes games, and a collaboration with Meow Wolf.

But what is the vision of VIIIZON? “Deep down to the root of it,” Vanessa says, “our mission is ‘people first, dancers second.’ How can we instill not just great dancing, but becoming a great human at the same time?”

Trey also shares a vision for all of us. “Move! Everybody move. Just have a practice of five minutes, thirty seconds–move, and just mean it with all your heart.”

Vanessa laughs and agrees. “Do all the things. All the things! Don’t be afraid. Go for it.”